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Initial post
11 FEB 05 by
JSN
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I think I have killed my 15 Nearly Wild roses that I planted this past spring. I read an article that explained how to correctly prune my roses and I thought I was prepared so I grabbed my pruners and went to work. I trimmed all the branches down between 2" - 3". I was rather proud of myself and went inside to reread the article only to discover it said only trim 1/4 to 1/3 of all branches. After nearly vomitting, I regained my composure and went back outside to see if the branches on the roses magically reappeared. No such luck. Can someone please help me??????
Thank you! JSN
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REPLY
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Dear JSN........
I don't have enough information to answer you other than in general terms, i.e., I don't know what zone you live in, I don't know when you did your mighty pruning job, or how big the plants were before you went to work. I am guessing because 'Nearly Wild' is used for landscaping, that you planted own root plants.
Here's the good news: Roses are tough. They want to grow. Roses are genetically programmed to regenerate from the roots. Jack Harkness, an English rose expert and hybridizer wrote in his book "Roses", that roses, in nature, have three natural enemies: 1) fire, which can burn them to the ground; 2) frost or cold, which can freeze the top growth to the ground; and 3) being eaten, some critters will eat all of the top growth to the ground.
The plant has adapted to survive these disasters and continue the species by regenerating the plant from the roots. This trait has been passed along to the roses hybridized by man.
I have hard pruned roses to bring them back to health on purpose taking off far more of the plant than is generally recommended (more than 1/4th or 1/3rd of the branches) and the roses responded generously and wonderfully.
For now, I would not assume that your roses are dead. They have just had a severe haircut. Keep them properly watered and fed and I think they will come back just fine.
Again, I have to remind you, I am basing my conclusion on general plant knowledge and not on the particular cultivar, 'Nearly Wild', nor am I taking into consideration any difficulties your climate zone may inflict on the roses this coming season.
Smiles,
Lyn
helpmefind.com
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#6 of 11 posted
17 AUG 05 by
Unregistered Guest
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Lynn. My son bought me a beautiful Queen Elizabeth bush last Mother's Day. It grew very tall and had many many roses. He bought it at a very reputable greenhouse and paid a good amount for it (40 dollars). I live near Cleveland Ohio, and this past winter we had a horrible freeze. My rose bush totally died out above the ground. I called Petittis, where it was purchased, he said many people lost roses this winter. I cut it totally to the ground, as all the stalks were dead. To my amazement, with a lot of tlc, I have a beautiful bush again, really full and tall as me. One problem. There are no buds at all. Is this a permanent thing, or will it bloom next year? I have a dozen or so shoots that grew up out of the ground , not all from one stalk. How would these be cut down for the winter? I would appreciate your help. Thanks ever so much, Carol
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#2 of 11 posted
16 FEB 05 by
JSN
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Thank you very much. I live in Chattanooga, TN and just cut them last week. The weather is mild so I'm hoping they'll do okay. Do you suggest that I fertilze them now? Thanks again!
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#3 of 11 posted
14 FEB 05 by
JSN
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Also, they weren't very big at all since I planted them last spring from containers.
Thanks again for your help!
JSN
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JSN........
I still don't know much about the climate of Chattanooga, Tenn, but I honestly think you don't have to worry too much about this particular cultivar. After looking at the parentage report on the rose page on the HMF site for 'Nearly Wild', I can tell you have one of the strongest roses capable of making a comeback from this kind of hard prune. Water, feed and care for the plants just they way you would have had you not cut them down so far. The roots are fine. The plants will put on more top growth.
Smiles,
Lyn
helpmefind.com
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#5 of 11 posted
6 MAR 05 by
Unregistered Guest
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What was the aritcle you read about how to trim them? So I don't make the same mistake, how should they be trimmed? Mine are starting to bud piece meal and I need to cut them back so they bloom as a nice well rounded bush. Any recommendations?
[HMF admin: We have edited you posting to remove your email address. There is no need to post it in the text as it only serves to attract spammers. When someone responds to your posting, HMF will send you and email alerting you with a link back to your posting].
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Carol....
If your Queen Elizabeth was a budded rose and you planted the bud union... that's the part where the rose is grafted to the root stock....... 3 to 4 inches below the surface of the soil, it is possible for the rose to come back if you cut it back to the surface of the soil. If you did not bury the bud union and did not winter protect it from the cold winter, the budded rose may not recover, but the root stock may come back instead. However, there are a lot of bud eyes at the graft point, so there is a chance if you winter protect it.
I have not gardened in very a very cold climate, but I have read about roses that have died back to the ground and have come back. Roses are genetically programmed to regenerate from the roots. The only thing a nursery can do is sell you a good plant, then it's up to you to do what is necessary to keep it healthy.
I went to the rose page for 'Queen Elizabeth' and noticed that two of the HMF site users have rated this rose as cold hardy. Then I clicked on the comments box and found that it is reported to be hardy to zone 5, BUT... and there is always a "but" .... it appears that people who have experience with this rose have noted that 'Queen Elizabeth' prefers a light prune.
So answering your specific question about this rose is difficult. Some roses grow like weeds, while others need extra care. QE has been around for a long time, which tells you that many gardeners have considered it a solid plant and a beautiful rose.
Winter protect the rose you have in the ground, and wait until next spring to see if it will come back. You can feed it with a good rose food with nitrogen in it up until October 1st, but then you don't want to use any fertilizer, even organic, on the plant with nitrogen until next spring. If you cut it back this fall, you might want to feed it with a fertilizer with 0-10-10 two or three times during the colder time of the year. This will not encourage new growth, but may give your rose a chance because modern roses store their nutrients in their canes.
Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.
Smiles,
Lyn
helpmefind.com
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#8 of 11 posted
19 AUG 05 by
Unregistered Guest
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Lynn, thanks for the info. I have a bit of other info about my rose bush that is weird to me. Every set of leaves is either five or seven leaves. There are no three leaves. This is on the bush that grew back, but didn't bud, from where I had to cut it to the ground. Does this indicate that All those shoots are suckers? I have never seen a rose bush without three leaf sets.
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Carol........
I really don't know how to answer that question. I do know that many roses have 7 leaf sets. The answer depends on which kind of root stock the rose was budded to in the beginning. I am not completely familiar with all of the rootstocks. I haven't seen any roses without the 3 leafsets either, but that doesn't mean there isn't a rose out there that doesn't follow the usual pattern. It's impossible to know the characteristics of every rose.
Smiles,
Lyn
helpmefind.com
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#10 of 11 posted
21 AUG 05 by
Unregistered Guest
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I guess I should have stated that originally the rose bush did have sets of three leaflets, because when I cut back the roses, I looked for the sets of five to cut above, and saw three leaves. Now that I cut it to the ground, and it grew back, but without buds, there are five and seven leaflet sets, but no three. I guess I am so worried that it will never bud again that I am looking for all differences to compare the original to, lol. I sure hope I am not bothering you with this stuff, it is just that this bush means so much to me, as it was a gift from my son and his wife.
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#11 of 11 posted
22 AUG 05 by
 RoseBlush
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Carol..............
No, I am not bothered, I am just sorry that I feel like I am guessing. If the characteristics of the rose which grew back are different from the rose you cut back, it's probably root stock taking over the rose.
Smiles,
Lyn
helpmefind.com
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